At a Jan. 12 hearing, O'Malley said she would appoint a public defender for Dimora but he, not taxpayers, would foot the bill. She also ordered Dimora to place $20,000 into a court-held account.

In addition, she ordered him to make $2,500 payments every month to cover the cost of future legal fees.

Dimora, 56, of Independence, had asked O'Malley that, if he had to pay for a court-appointed attorney himself, that he would like to have the court appoint his previous attorneys Richard Lillie and Gretchen Holderman, because they knew the case.

In December, Lillie and Holderman asked to withdraw from the case, saying they hadn't been paid. O'Malley granted their request.

O'Malley did not appoint Lillie and Holderman. Vegh is a partner in the law firm of Vecchio & Vegh.

Dimora was arrested Sept. 15 and faces 26 charges in the corruption indictment and his trial is scheduled to start Sept. 12. If convicted on all counts, Dimora faces 60 years in prison and $1.25 million in fines.